Forget a season; it took Corey Koski and the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind one night to define an entire career.

The Dragons blanked rival St. Joseph Academy 14-0 on Thursday, securing their first win since 2002 in the storied series, and putting to rest a decade of painful losses on one cold, November night.

“Before the game we had two minutes of silence to think about the game, think about what we had to do,” FSDB quarterback Corey Koski said. “I was thinking about my first play, thought about it being my last game. I thought about it being my last day to play for these guys.”

Koski started for the Dragons as an eighth grader, which means he entered Thursday’s game with an 0-4 record against the Flashes. More telling, FSDB lost those games by a combined score of 205-26.

Before the game, coach Eric LeFors said his seniors got together and talked about the history.

“They all just said, ‘It’s time. It’s time.’ They wanted the losing to stop,” he said.

Overall, FSDB had dropped 17 of the last 19 matchups before it stepped on the field. LeFors, however, was 0-0.

“If you count the spring, 2-0, baby,” said LeFors, who’s in his first season since taking over for Johnny Samuels.

LeFors and the Dragons could possibly still play a bowl game, but if they don’t, they end the season 7-2 — a mark better than any of the coaches could even remember.

The last FSDB team that could compare, back in 2006, only had five wins. There's hasn't been a seven-win season since 1988.

“Just look at them,” LeFors said. “Walking off the field together. I’m just happy for them. They deserve it.”

Thursday’s game was far from pretty.

There were a combined six turnovers in the first half and seven total in the game. There were no punts and just 96 passing yards between the two teams.

St. Joseph (2-8), which dressed 15 players for the game, got down to the Dragons’ 5 in the third quarter, but turned the ball over on downs after a Thompson Hinman pass sailed wide of the goal line.

That was really the best chance St. Joseph had of scoring all night. The Flashes also had a Brendan Baird touchdown run called back by holding on a drive that ended at FSDB’s 23.

“Like I told them back in the spring (when St. Joseph lost to FSDB), we will never be great until we work hard,” Flashes first-year coach Brandon James said. “... But you have to take your hat off to FSDB. They played a great game.”

It was a tough season for the Flashes, who struggled with numbers and a brutal schedule throughout the year. By the time Thursday arrived, St. Joseph was playing nearly all of its players both ways and trying to overcome a slew of injuries.

FSDB took full advantage and wore St. Joseph out as the game progressed.

Koski ran for 111 yards on 13 carries, capping off one of the most brilliant seasons in program history. He also had an interception. Koski finished his senior year with 31 total touchdowns.

“You look at him, with his blond hair, and you wouldn’t think he can do that,” LeFors said. “But that’s who he is.”

Koski looked flat-out angry at times, stiff arming St. Joseph defenders and dropping his head down and barreling his way for chunks of yardage. He even flipped his way in for a two-point conversion following the Dragons’ second touchdown — a 6-yard run by Nick Stanfield in the third quarter.

“It’s a gorilla off their backs,” LeFors said. “We knew coming in that we had a better team, but we weren’t sure since on their schedule they beat the two teams we lost to. They played us tough. It was a great game.”

Mikal Moore added 89 bruising rushing yards on 11 carries, and Dakota Kalis had 55 receiving yards on three catches, including a highlight reel one-handed grab down the right sideline.

FSDB struggled at times offensively on Thursday. Koski threw an interception at the end of the first half to St. Joseph’s Bradley Senderling. Stanfield fumbled and Koski threw an errant pitch that was picked up by a Flashes defender.

On the other side, though, St. Joseph was equally sloppy with the ball. Zach Snyder, who rushed for 59 yards on 15 carries, fumbled twice. Hinman threw two interceptions, the final to FSDB’s Marlon Burdette that sealed the game with 1:16 remaining.

For St. Joseph, Baird added 60 rushing yards and Senderling had 42 receiving yards and 23 on the ground.

This summer is going to be an important one for James, who will have his first chance to start building through an offseason.

He was hired late in the process as Bernie Packo was let go before this season began.

“Our guys knew coming in what we were going to have,” James said. “There’s no excuses. (Lack of depth) is something we’ve been dealing with all year. We’ll have to get in the weight room and starting working hard for the future.”

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It is no wonder why James got handed the starting job, the school didnt care about this season, they will be handing out plenty of "scholarships" next year though with more than a couple West Augustine kids planning on coming to St. Joes. A sports minded new administration and a more than "connected" coach plans on doing whatever it takes to get the St. Joes football team in the news...the one problem is these new players may have the athletic ability, but do they have the class room skills to keep up with a very strict academic reputation that St. Joes has.....does St Joes start to lose their credibility in the class room for a couple wins on the football field?!?!

StAugBornNRaised - got to watch what you say. I posted similar sentiments a week ago and had my posting taken down. Would like to know how that happened. Thankfully the 1st edition of the Brandon James Error has passed, and he can't mess anything up again until track season...

When you have 15 kids dressing in your program..... You don't have a program! Coach James ran off a lot of kids this season to do it his way. Public School that can work or a Private School with a winning tradition in state playoffs not independent schedules.

This season was a failure! 2 Year probation and 15 kids playing while losing to FSDB twice. No words to explain than the experiment with a first year no experience Head Coach is terrible.

Really.... I did not see that. I guess there are a whole lot of people wanting Coach James to be successful. All the way to protecting him. The job should of have been earned not given to him because he is recruiting kids from west St. Augustine

From the rummer mill, the students all state that the recruitments brought in this year by James are all failing classes, and yet they are still practicing and dressing on game day. So I guess the schools reputation is what's at stake for St Joe's. Unfortunate being such a small school why wouldn't they find a Coach that had a better attitude!!!!! this school will never be a powerhouse in Football but at least they always had great kids with excellent academics.